|
|
|
|
Creating Balance for Your Own Mental Health If you can't remember when you did something just for yourself, then it's time to re-balance your lifestyle. Your health depends on it.
Achieving the right mental balance is different for everyone and depends on your personal interests, work, and family situations. No matter your profession, work demands can become overwhelming and it’s easy to forget the toll they can bring. Occupational therapists work with people to acquire skills or make changes to establish a balance of work, leisure, activities of daily living, and rest. Try these mental health strategies to create better balance in your life! - Evaluate how much time you spend with each daily activity. - Keep track of your daily activities on a calendar for a week to identify how much time you spend on work, self-care, leisure, and where you might be able to make realistic changes to achieve greater balance among these.
- The more hectic your lifestyle, the more important it is that you plan your time wisely. - Take time each week to think about the week ahead. Draw up a list of the things you need to get done and highlight the most important activities. Cross off the tasks that you do accomplish and focus on what you got done, not on what you didn't do.
- For your mental health, make sure you do what's meaningful to you. - Consider your physical, social, spiritual, emotional and intellectual needs and ensure your daily activities fulfill these. Each day, write down at least one activity that you would most like to accomplish for yourself and make this a priority. The other less important activities can be postponed or eliminated.
- Be realistic in setting your goals. - What do you need to do to achieve these? Make more time for yourself? Hire help? Delegate tasks? Build a support system of colleagues, friends, and/or partners, and help each other to live the lives you truly desire.
- Make your weekends work for you! - Studies show that many of us spend over 12 hours each weekend doing household chores and errands. Spread your activities out over the week. Grocery shopping during non-peak hours is not only faster than on weekends, but also less stressful. Cutting the lawn during the week leaves your Saturday morning free for a game of tennis or golf.
- Take a look at your values. - What is really important in your life? Build in the time for what is most important to you rather than acting on what you "should" do. Most of all, take time for yourself to refresh and recharge your batteries or you won't be of help to anyone else!
|
|
Balance Newsletter
| Stay in touch with all that is happening here at Balance Austin.! For more details and to sign-up for your free newsletter, click here. |
|
